1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to new systems and methods for providing portable air conditioning. More particularly, the invention relates to systems and methods for delivering portable cooling or heating suitable for use in a vehicle such as a car, boat, plane, that does not already have its own air conditioning system or a substantial power supply.
2. General Background and State of the Art
A variety of vehicles, typically smaller cars, airplanes, and boats, do not have their own cooling/heating system. In hot or cold weather these vehicles can be very uncomfortable. The addition of an add-on air conditioning system to a vehicle is a complex and expensive undertaking. With respect to certain airplanes, it is very difficult to install an add-on system because of available engine power, and certain FAA regulations severely restrict such add-ons. Adding a typical commercially available air conditioning system with either an electrical compressor or a belt driven compressor is not feasible for many such vehicles. Electrical compressors typically require 50 to 100 amps of power or more—which exceed the available power in many vehicles. A belt driven unit requires a significant amount of horse power which is not available in many vehicles. Thus, there has long been a need for a portable cooling/heating system for vehicles without such a system.
One such cooling system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,165 to Bigelow. This air-conditioning system included a fan with a radiator that sits on top of a height adjustable support frame within an open ice chest. A pump pumps a heat exchange fluid, typically water taken from an ice-water mixture contained in the ice-chest, through a hose into the radiator, from which the fluid flows back into the ice chest. A single housing encloses the radiator and fan, and is attached to a collapsible frame which enables a user to position and angle the fan so that it points out of the open ice chest. The fan pulls air through a back end of the radiator, cooling the air, and then blows the cooled air out through a front end of the radiator. In an alternative embodiment, the fan's housing and frame rest on top of a closed ice chest, and the hose through which the heat exchange fluid flows enters the ice chest through openings drilled in the lid of the ice chest.
Another cooling system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,281 (Oliphant, et al.). The cooling system of this device is intended to be used with an 8 to 32 ounce cup of ice water or some other appropriate fluid. The cooling unit is dimensioned to fit into the top of a cup, and contains two small batteries, typically C-size batteries, an intake fan with an on/off switch, and an air exit opening. When on, the fan pulls air in through an intake opening into contact with the fluid mixture in the cup. The fluid mixture can be either hot or cold, depending upon whether the device is to be used for cooling or heating. The air, either cooled or heated, then exits through a spout shaped air exit opening. This device is useful for an individual to cool or warm oneself, but is insufficient for cooling or heating a cabin of a vehicle, such as a boat or airplane.
Each of the prior art systems has certain drawbacks associated with them. For example, the power requirements of the Bigelow air-conditioning unit are rather substantial for a vehicle battery, since power is needed for both the fan and the pump. Additionally, the fan/radiator unit takes up substantially the entire space of the cooler or ice chest and thereby prevents the cooler from being used for its intended purpose of cooling food or beverages.